Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder says John Egan is set for a big 2020.
Egan, the son of a Gaelic football legend, captained the Republic of Ireland during last month's friendly against Bulgaria despite winning only his fifth senior cap.
"I think if you know John, he's so proud of his background and his country," Wilder said. "You saw him when he captained his country and I know Mick (McCarthy) thinks a lot about him.
So it's a great chance for John now to go and cement a place in his national side, which I know he's desperate to do.
"He's a proud Irishman, like they all are, and representing your country is the pinnacle. When he captained them, you could see what it meant."